CH 25

Chapter 25 – The Crown Prince’s Call (3)

Translator: Lioness

The empress’ palace was splendid; it was full of décor and precious jewels as if proving that it was the place where the noblest woman stayed in the Erha Empire.

The furnishings placed in it were also unusual and along with the paintings and vases decorating the corridors were among the most expensive in the empire. They stunned her, making her mouth open.

“Wow.”

She thought she had seen a lot of pretty and wonderful things, but the world was indeed big and there were still things she didn’t know existed. She didn’t know that this place was where all those luxurious and pretty things were placed.

“There were many better things in the Imperial Palace of the Nakran Empire.”

Lawrence whispered to Alice who was looking around.

“Can I go visit the Imperial Palace of Nakran Empire?”

Lawrence asked back to Alice, who was in an atmosphere of wanting to go if he could just show it.

“You want to go?”

“Yes!”

“I asked if you want to go.”

“Well, if you’d open the door.”

As she nodded and laughed, he tightly held her hand as if to keep his word.

“I’ll keep that.”

At his low voice, her ears perked up. It became red and he pretended he was unbeknownst to it. When the ladies-in-waiting saw them, they happily smiled at them.

When they arrived at the drawing room of the empress’ palace, the lady-in-waiting informed her inside.

“Miss Alice has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

The empress, who was savoring the scent of tea with a languid expression, looked at her and was delighted with her.

“I had never seen you before, this’d my first time since you always sent letters.”

“I greet the Empress, Her majesty.”

Alice greeted the Empress by spreading her skirt, and Lawrence bowed down beside her as well.

“I am Lawrence Littenverk of the Nakran Empire.”

“I know. You are the main character of the romance that made the empire lively, but it was unbelievable the moment I heard it.”

The empress watched the two of them with coyish eyes which Alice caught and could only smile awkwardly. The empress, who had welcomed Alice, who came with Lawrence, offered them seats. As soon as they sat down, the empress pointed out.

“Alice. You’re not going to follow that man to the Nakran Empire, are you?”

“Even if I go, I will not forget Her Majesty’s grace.”

Alice’s voice resonated resoundingly in the audience room. The empress, who liked her answer, replied with a bright smile.

“It sounds like you are leaving the empire.”

“Anyway, the woman has to follow her husband.”

She had no intention of marrying Lawrence, but she couldn’t get her out of the way. To minimize her shock that the Marquis Hamilton would receive her when she disappeared, it was good that she gave off a nuance that she might be leaving for the Nakran Empire.

“If you go, what will I do? Sometimes you lose a person you correspond with.”

“It can’t be, Your Majesty. Even if I am far away, I will always occupy my mind to think of you. We will continue to develop new products.”

The Empress was very pleased with her answer. With the amount of money Alice Hamilton had brought to the imperial family, she could not leave the Erha Empire. The Empress was one of the few people who knew of Alice’s involvement in the Marquise Hamilton’s commerce.

“Despite being a woman, you have such ability that you are my favorite child.”

“That is right.”

Lawrence responded with a smile to the empress’ words to which Alice laughed awkwardly between the two of them, while she eagerly flattered the Empress.

“There is a perfume coming soon, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, really.”

“As always, I will give it to Your Majesty first.”

“I’m always looking forward to it.”

The empress’ nostrils went up. The perfume developed by the Marquis of Hamilton was out of stock. Only limited quantities were produced, and once all of them were sold, they were not reproduced.

The empress was the only person in the Erha Empire who could have all of those perfumes. That’s why she loved the Hamilton Marquess. Especially Alice.

“I heard you were called by the Crown Prince. What is going on?”

“I also have no idea, Your Majesty. It was a sudden call.”

“He may be my son, but I loathe that he is being controlled by a woman.”

The empress whispered in a strange tone echoing in the room as she spoke softly as if she were speaking specifically to Alice.

“A baron at best. I set the daughter of Shellington’s duchy as his candidate for Crown princess, but he kicked that blessing.”

The empress’ voice was full of regret as she clicked her tongue.

‘Uh? This feels strange?’

Stella was loved not only by the Empress but everyone in the Imperial Family. Yet the empress expressed her dissatisfaction with Stella.

‘What happened?’

It was strange since it could be a problem after the original story had ended. She also have no idea how to adjust to the people that had changed. She don’t know if the Empress was aware of her confusion or not, but the Empress did not reap any complaints.

“Her treasury is empty because of that girl.”

‘It’s telling her to hand over the money.’

She wondered why the Empress was telling this secretly so she pretended not to know anything and innocently nodded her head. She comprehended her wholly but didn’t express herself until the story was finished.

“Of course, the empty national treasury can be filled with taxes, but the Crown Princess spent more money than me as the empress. That shouldn’t be like that.”

Anger lingered in the empress’ voice as she gritted her teeth and whispered. Alice only nodded her head up and down as she stroked the back of her hand giving her goosebumps. Lawrence, who had been watching from her side, placed his large hand over hers.

She felt relieved when the warm feeling came through. Alice found it difficult to adjust to the changed circumstances. Why did this happen? It didn’t matter if the world changed, but if the changed situation harmed her, it could be a big problem.

‘I’m just an extra.’

The fact that she was mentioned in a single line, and then summoned to the imperial court, was evidence that things were going wrong.

‘I have to leave this empire quickly before anyone notices.’

The empress raised her teacup and asked Alice, who lowered her head due to nervous.

“Why is that?”

“I was delighted to be invited to the Imperial Palace and could stop by your palace, Your Majesty. But I remembered that the Crown Prince, His Highness might be already looking for me.”

“To stop by the Crown Prince’s palace must just be a trick.”

“Yes?”

Alice was confused whether she had heard her words coming out of her empress’ mouth. At this point, she hated Stella. Sensing that the empress’ mood had deteriorated in an instant, she forgot that Alice had taken her hand from Lawrence, and she put her hand over it.

Lawrence’s gaze turned to Alice, feeling her sweaty hands. Alice, not recognizing his gaze, looked at the empress with her awkward smile. The empress, staring at her, waved her hand.

“Fine. I will call the crown prince.”

“Ah… yes?”

“Chief Maid.”

The lady-in-waiting next to her immediately responded to the gesture of the empress.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Go and call the Crown prince.”

The Empress’s words surprised Alice; what she wanted was not to summon the Prince here, but to deliver the perfume to the Empress on the way to the Crown Prince’s palace, in the hope that the Empress would call her back.

‘No, did I just dig a trouble for myself again?’

Alice held her breath, not knowing what Stella would turn out to be. The empress, who confirmed the tension in her face, smiled benevolently.

“Why is that?”

Alyssa pursed her lips at the Empress’s knowing question, but she couldn’t answer; if she spoke ill of the Crown Prince, she could be accused of insulting the royal family and hauled away.

“You are too much, Your Majesty.”

Lawrence voiced out.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“The Crown Prince must have called her for a good cause.”

The empress’ face hardened at Lawrence’s words that if it were not for that, there would be no calling for her. The empress, who had read his hidden will that he would not stay still if Alice had been summoned to the palace because of her bad business, looked at Lawrence with her sharp eyes.

Passing her gaze casually, he enjoyed the scent of tea her lady-in-waiting poured out. Fearing that Alice might say that she would not go to the Nakran Empire because she could not withstand the threat of the empress and the crown prince, Lawrence tried to stop the situation with all her might.

“Of course, it was. If it wasn’t for that, there would be no need to call our Alice.”

There was no way the empress would hate Alice, who offered her valuables every time. However, the empress was displeased with Lawrence who appeared with Alice. She feared that if she went to the Nakran Empire, she would cut off the royal family’s money.

Sensing her concern, Alice assured her that this was not the case, but the Lawrence before her was no pushover. As the head of one of the most powerful ducal families in the Nakran Empire and a loyal servant of the crown prince who would become the next great emperor, he could not be underestimated.

She muttered that she would not let the crown prince do anything against the empress’ intentions, and she listened to the sound the empress heard outside her.

“Your Majesty, His Highness, the Crown Prince and Her Highness have come.”

“Let them in.”

At the empress’ words, the door opened, and Gail and Stella entered. She couldn’t sit still, so Alice rose from her seat. When Lawrence and Alice got up, she had no choice but to get up from her seat.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

The empress smiled kindly at the crown prince and his wife who spoke at the same time.

“Come in. Did you call Alice?”